A playback-only optical disk having an image and voice recorded thereon is already put into practice as a music CD, laser disk, video CD or the like. MPEG2 (Moving Picture Experts Group Phase 2) which is the international standard specification for compression of moving pictures and a DVD specification using the AC3 audio compression system are defined and it is put into practice as a DVD video. The DVD specification is initially designed by taking a playback-only disk or a ROM disk which cannot be recorded by the user into consideration, but recently, a DVD-RAM specification which can be played back and recorded by the user was made.
At present, the DVD-RAM specification is realized in a data recording/playback apparatus for a computer, but as a matter of course, application to a DVD recording/playback apparatus for recording/playback a moving picture and voice is studied. When application of the DVD-RAM specification to the DVD recording/playback apparatus is considered, it is desirable to effect the searching operation in the same manner as in the specification for DVD audio and DVD video based on the DVD specification for playback only.
In the DVD video specification, VMG.cndot.VTS menus are provided for disk title creating companies. The menus are created by use of an exclusive authoring instrument. Then, the recording content of the disk is displayed in the form of menu in addition to normal video data at the time of playback and buttons are displayed by use of a sub-video image so as to permit the user to select them, thereby making it possible to search for a desired portion.
On the other hand, when a moving picture is recorded by use of the DVD-RAM, the user creates a title, and if VMG.cndot.VTS menu data used in the DVD video specification is used, the user also creates them. However, it is extremely difficult for the ordinary user to create the VMG.cndot.VTS menu data when considering the large amount of data and devices which must be prepared to create the menu data and it is not practical. Further, in the case of recordable/playable DVD, the operation for re-recording main record data (video, voice data) is frequently effected, but if the VMG.cndot.VTS menu data is used, the VMG.cndot.VTS menu data must be rewritten each time the main record data is rewritten and the amount of operations for this purpose becomes extremely large.
As described above, when a moving picture and voice are recorded by use of the DVD-RAM, use of VMG.cndot.VTS menu data used in the DVD video specification in which the main record data is not assumed to be rewritten imposes an extremely heavy load on the user and it is not practical.